1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to technology for processing information in an image forming apparatus that is connected to a network for communication. More specifically, the present invention relates to a technology for processing information in an image forming apparatus that is provided with a WWW (world wide web) browser (hereinafter referred to as a browser) function for receiving and displaying a file that is described in an HTML (hyper text markup language) format or the like sent through the network.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, with the development of functions applied to image forming apparatuses, most image forming apparatuses are provided with a browser function. The browser function enables a user to instruct such apparatus to display and print an HTML document. In addition, the browser function enables the user to obtain data such as PDF (portable document format), TIFF (tagged image file format), and the like, and to specify a desired document to directly print the same. Further, with the browser function, the user can recall and utilize a web application through an operation panel of the image forming apparatus.
In order to specify positions (locations of storage) of various types of objects (the HTML document and the like) that exist on the network, it is generally necessary to describe URL (uniform resource locator) information (or a path to a document file: collectively referred to as a URI (uniform resource identifier). However, it is too much of a bother for the user that the user needs to input and describe a long URL on every occasion in the image forming apparatus. This is because the image forming apparatus is seldom provided with a keyboard as hardware, unlike a common PC, and thus the user needs to operate a software keyboard that is displayed on the operation panel.
In this regard, as a method for decreasing a burden or a trouble of an operation for inputting a URL, the image forming apparatus is introduced with a function such as a “bookmark” registration function or a “favorite” registration function. The function allows the browser to store in the browser the URL that the user frequently uses as a shortcut. With the function, the user can, once the user inputs a URL through the operation panel and confirms a display on the browser, readily browse a desired object without inputting the URL again for a next occasion or thereafter.
Further, recently, a technology is proposed, as a function for registering the “bookmark”, such that a keyword for retrieval is extracted from an arbitrary area of a page that is displayed at the time of registration of a URL of the page that is an object of a link, and the URL is stored together with the keyword. In the case of linkrot, the URL is retrieved based on the extracted keyword, and thus a list of URLs of links that include the extracted keyword is displayed (see, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-273185).
However, although the “bookmark” registration function is convenient at a glance, there are some drawbacks. For example, in this function, URL information is only statically stored in the browser as the shortcut of the URL at the time the user specifies the URL (for example, http://www.ab.co.jp/2004-12-01/index.html, and the like). Accordingly, if the URL information of the object that is located on the network is once changed, with the lapse or time, the URL whose link is broken is left as it is.
Of course, it is sufficient that all the users who use browsers arrange bookmark information on a periodic basis so that the plenty of registered bookmark information is updated. However, it is not likely that the user should arrange the bookmark information on every occasion of use of such function by using the browser function installed to the image forming apparatus.
As a result, the URL information that cannot already be used is left as it is without being subjected to a maintenance. Thus, effective URL information and ineffective URL information exist at the same time in a mixture, and thus a convenience of the bookmark registration function is degraded.
In addition, in the case of the browser function installed to the image forming apparatus, unlike a browser operating in a common and general PC, the function is subjected to restrictions related to a usable non-volatile memory and a maximum capacity of the non-volatile memory. Accordingly, a maximum amount of information that can be registered to “bookmark” is limited. Therefore, in order to effectively use the memory that has such restrictions, it is necessary to avoid continuing storage of the bookmark information that is already ineffective, when possible.